A new poll shows almost three quarters of people living in the Wellington region are against the surveyed proposed Wellington regional super-city.
Residents in the Wellington region have less than six weeks to decide on a super city. Photo: 123RF
The Nielsen poll, commissioned by the Wellington City Council, showed that only 26 percent of those surveyed were in support.
Of those who responded, 61 percent would oppose the proposal, while a final 14 percent were undecided.
Support for the proposal was weakest in the Wairarapa and the Hutt Valley, at 17 and 18 percent, though stronger in Porirua, Kapiti and Wellington, at close to 30 percent.
Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown Photo: SUPPLIED
The Local Government Commission has proposed merging the area's nine councils into a two-tier local authority.
The Mayor of Wellington, Celia Wade-Brown, said the poll showed substantial opposition to the plan, which she said would surely fail if put to a regional referendum.
However, she believed that there were alternatives to the proposed supercity, given the consistent lack of support for the Local Government Commission idea.
"I do think there's also an appetite for some change.
"I agree that nine councils is too many for a population of half a million, so I do think there could be some practical approach of the Wairarapa becoming one council, and maybe the Hutt Valley, and Wellington, just like the Kapiti coast area has already been put together for the health board."
1000 people were surveyed and the poll has a margin of error of 3 percent.
Ray Wallace, the Mayor of Lower Hutt, said that the results were to be expected.
"There's nothing surprising in this latest poll result: that's what we've been hearing back from the community for some considerable time now."
Submissions on the proposal close this weekend.